Pump



Dec. 22, 1964 N. G. KLING 3,162,132

PUMP

Filed March 15, 1963 ,4 wave-y United States Patent O 3,162,132 PUR/W Nelson G. Kling, Ringwood, NJ., assigner to Technieon instruments Corporation, Chauncey, NX., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 15, 1%3, Ser. No. 265,405 8 Claims. (Cl. 10S-S0) The invention relates generally to pumps of the piston type.

One object of the present invention is the provision of `a pump of the above indicated type which is operable with a high degree of `accuracy and during a short time cycle to dispense a measured quantity of liuid.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pump of the aforenoted character, wherein the reciprocal movement of the piston is actuated by a Huid-pressure responsive means.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a pump with means for `adjust-ing the output volume of the pump.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be more fully understood from the following description considered in connection the accompanying rawings which are illustrative of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention.

-In the drawings:

FIG. l is a central longitudinal section of the pump embodying the present invention, showing the pump mounted at the inner side of housing wall; and

FIG. 2 is an end View of the pump as seen from the right of FIG. 1, the housing wall being omitted.

Referring now to the drawings in'detail, the pump 10 yaccording to the present invention comprises a housing 12 which is secured to a wall member 11i of a housing (not shown) by a series of threaded screws 16 which engage in openings 17 in housing 12, a cylinder 18 which is positionally secured to one end of housing 12 by means of yan annular llange member 2t) which engages the end portion of the cylinder 18 and has countersunk openings 22 around the periphery thereof, in which screws 24 lit and yare in threaded engagement with threaded openings 26 in said end of the housing 12. A piston 23 has a sliding tluid-tignt iit in said cylinder 1S and is reoiprocated therein as hereinafter described. To provide said fluid-tight lit a hollow resilient fluid seal-ing ring 27 is dispos-ed in groove 29 provided between the cylinder 18 and the piston 2S. The sealing ring Z7 is held in position by the shoulder 23 of the internally recessed end portion of the cylinder 1S and `by the cylinder engaging portion of the ange member which is disposed in said internal recessed portion.

IA Huid-pressure responsive member Si? disposed within the housing 12 comprises a substantially ilat annular plate member 32, a cup shape member 34 and a resilient flexible member 36, by way of illustration, a flexible diaphragm, which has an end portion interposed between said members 32 and 3d and interconnected thereto by means ci a. series of bolts and nuts 38 and 4i), respectively. The other `end portion of the ilexible diaphragm 36 is interposed between two external peripheral anges di? and 42 of the housing 12 and is secured between said flanges by screws ed spaced around the peripheral anges di) and 42. The duid-pressure responsive member 30 divides the housing into two separate chambers 46 and 4S, said chamber d6 having a plurality of circumferentially spaced open- 'ings 50 open to the ambient atmosphere and said chamber d@ having an opening 52, for the passage of iluid into and out of said chamber under the control of a twoway valve 52a. actuated by solenoid indicated at 521').

The duid-pressure responsive member 3G is connected to the piston 2S by means ofthe apertured part 53 of the plate member 32 abutting the periphery of the piston 28 within an externally recessed end portion 55 of said piston 28 `and being secured therein by an adjacent flat split ring 54 which it-s into circumferentially extending groove 56 formed in said recessed end portion 55.

A iluid `sealing .ring 57, seated in a groove 59, which is formed in the external recessed end portion of the piston 28, is interposed between the -apentured part 53 of the plate member 32 and said externally recessed end portion of the piston 28 land extends around the periphery. This t0- gether with the cup-diaphragm 36 insure a huid-tight between said plate member 32 and said piston 28 thereby inhibiting the tlow of lluid ybetween the chambers 46 'and 48.

The llufid intake stroke or" the piston 28 is regulated, by an adjustable stop-rod '5S which is coaxial with Said piston 2b. The stop-rod 58 is slidably adjustable in a tubular guide or sleeve 60 which has `a reduced screw threaded end portion 612 screw threaded into *boss 66 of end Wall 68 ot housing 12. Stop-rod 5S has ya threaded shank 70 which is in screw threaded engagement wit-h the internally threaded portion 73 of boss 66. Sealing rings 72 and 74 are provided las shown in FIG. 1. The shank part 7 (l projects through end, wall 68 of the housing 12 which defines one iside of a recess 69, and -a calibrated dial 74 with an integral knob '75 is releas'ably secured to the shank part 7 0 by a set screw '76. The desired stroke of the piston 2d and thereby the desired quantity of lluid to be dispensed is determined -by the setting of the dial 74 by means of rotational movement thereof. The'rotational movement of the dial 74tin one' direc-tion or the other causes a corresponding longitudinal movement of lthe stop-rod 5S to position the inner lend thereof at the desired pistonstop position for limiting the fluid intake stroke of the piston.

A yhelical compression spring 7 is disposed within the chamber 48 `and :engages member 30 to ybias the piston 28 to its extended position shown in FIG. 1 `at the end of the liuid expelling stroke of the piston. A iluid passage 79 is provided at the upper porti-on yof the cylinder head 39 for the `ilo-w of fluid into land out of the cylinder. When the pump 19 is used as a liquid pump, the passage '79 also serves as a vent to lallow any air trapped in the cylinder 18 to escape therethrough. A `check valve indicated at 31 in fluid supply line 82 opens under duid pressure when piston 28 is moved for its intake stroke and a `check valve indicated at 84 in `iiuid delivery line 86 is then `closed by the fluid pressure. Conversely, when the piston is moved to discharge the fluid from the cylinder valve 81 yis automatically closed `and valve 8d is automatically opened.

The intake stroke of piston 28 is effected by atmospheric pressure in chamber 45 on member 30 when the kilu-id pressure in chamber -fl is 'below atmospheric pressure. Subatmospheric pressure is provided periodically in chamber 54S by yconnecting passage 52 to -a source of partial vacuum or subaatm'ospheric pressure through solenoid actuated two-way valve 52a in one position of said valve. In the :other posi-tion of said valve the connection of passage 52 Ito said Vacuum source is interrupted and air is admitted into ychamber 4S so lthat spring 73 is effective to move piston "28 for its uuid-discharge stroke.

The sleeve oil which Iserves as a guide -for stop-rod 58 also serves yas `a guide for piston 28. Said piston has an inner end cap '88 secured therein which has la central open- 9il lin ywhich sleeve 60 has -a sliding tit. As may be noted, movement of hollow piston 28 during the intake` stroke of pump 18, fieltrom left to right in FIG. 1, would result in undesirable compression =of the lair entrapped within the said piston by the act-ionof stop rod 5S and guide sleeve 6i) thereon. To prevent this from occurring, `cap 88 is provided -wtih an opening 92 extending therethrough. l

The fluid-pressure operated pump o the present invention may be used for various purposes. However, it is especially useful with considerable advantage in the fluid treatment system disclosed in the US. application, Serial No. 222,013, tiled by me and Andres Ferrari, September 7, 1962, and assigned to the assignee of this application. In said iiuid treatment system, a liquid is pumped into a mixer or blender in which a normally solid material is introduced and mixed with the liquid for providing a liquid containing said material, usually in solution, which is transmitted to an automatic analysis apparatus of the type, for example, disclosed by the U.S. patent to Skeggs, No. 2,797,149, owned by my assignee. The pump of the present invention can also be used for rinsing the blender between successive mixing operations. This can be readily accomplished by 'periodically energizing and deenergizing solenoid 5211 under the control of a programming switch as will be readily understood.

It will be understood that Vwhile we have shown and described the presently preferred embodiment of our invention, the latter may be embodied otherwise than as here specifically illustrated or described., and that in the embodiment of the invention here shown or described, various changes in the details of construction and in the form and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the underlying idea or principles of this invention within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: J

1. A liuid pump, comprising a cylinder provided with fluid passage means for the 'liow of fluid into and out of the cylinder, a hollow piston reciprocable in said cylinder for effecting theiiow of thefluid into and out of said cylinder, a housing, means including huid-pressure responsive means operatively connected to said piston for reciprocating the piston in said cylinder, said fluid-pressure responsive means including a flexible diaphragml and dividing said housing into first and second chambers with a fluid-tight seal therebetween, said irst chamber bei-ng open to the atmosphere, means for connecting said second chamber periodically to a source of sub-atmospheric pressure for effecting the movement of the piston in one direction into said second chamber for the liow of liuid into said cylinder and for periodically providing said second chamber with atmospheric pressure, guide means extending into the interior of said hollow piston, means connecting the interior of said hollow piston with said second chamber, and mea-ns in said second chamber operatively connected to said piston for moving the piston in the opposite direction when said second chamber has atmospheric pressure therein, for effecting the flow of fluid out of said cylinder.

2. A fluid pump, comprising a cylinder provided with .fluid passage means for the flow of fluid into `and out of the cylinder, a hollow piston reciprocable in said cylinder for effecting the liow of the fluid into Iand out of said cylinder, means including duid-pressure responsive means vstop device for turning Vthe latter, said rotary member Y being provided' with a dial for indicating said positions Vof said stop device,and means Vfor applying differentv fluid pressures at oppositel sides, respectivcly, of said fluidpressure responsive means for actuating said huid-pressure responsive means for moving` said piston from said extended( position to said lretracted position.

3. A iiuid pump, comprising a cylinder provided with fluid passage means for the flow of fluid into and out of the cylinder, a hollow piston reciprocable in said cylinder for effecting the flow of the fluid into a-nd out of said cylinder, a housing, fluid-pressure responsive means including a llexible diaphragm and a plate member connected thereto and dividing said housing into first and second chambers having a huid-tight seal therebetween, guide means extending into the interior of said hollow piston, means connecting the interior of said hollow piston with said second chamber, said huid-pressure responsive means operatively connected to said piston for reciprocating the piston in said cylinder, said lirst chamber being open lto the atmosphere, means for connecting said second chamber during certain periods to a source of sub-atmospheric pressure for effecting the movement of the piston in one direction into said second chamber for the flow of fluid into said cylinder and for periodically providing said second chamber with atmospheric pressure between said certain periods, and means in said second chamber operatively connected to said piston for moving the piston in the opposite direction when said second chamber has atmospheric pressure therein, for effecting the ow of fluid out of said cylinder.

4. A iiuid pump, comprising a cylinder provided with fluid passage means for the flow of iiuid into and out of the cylinder, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder between an extended and a retracted position for effecting the iiow of iiuid into and out of said cylinder, a housing, means including fluid-pressure responsive means operatively connec/ted to said piston for reciprocating said piston between said extended and retracted positions, a variable stop-rod device coaxial with said piston and longitudinally adjustable -to variable positions longitudinally yof the path of said piston to variably determine the retracted position of said piston, said fluid-pressure responsive means including a flexible diaphragm and dividing said housing into two chambers with a fluid-tight seal therebetween, one of said chambers being open to the atmosphere, means for connecting the other chamber periodically during certain times to a source of sub-atmospheric pressure for effecting the movement of the piston in one direction for the iiow of iiuid into said cylinder and for periodically providing said other chamber during other times with atmospheric pressure, and means in said other chamber operatively connected to said piston for moving the piston in the opposite direction, when said other chamber has atmospheric pressure therein, for effecting the liow of iiuid out of said cylinder.

5. A fluid pump, comprising a cylinder provided with fluid passage means for the flow of Huid into and out of the cylinder, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder for eecting the tlow of the liuid into and out of said cylinder, a housing, means including fluid-pressure responsive means operatively connected to said piston for reciprocating said piston between an extended and a retracted position, said uid pressure responsive means including a llexible diaphragm and dividing said housing into rst and second chambers with a fluid-tight seal therebetween, said first chamber being open to the atmosphere, solenoid controlled valve means operable independently of said fluid pressure responsive means for periodically connecting said second chamberto a source of sub-atmospheric pressure during certain times for eecting the movement of the piston within said .second chamber from said extended position to said yretracted position for the flow of fluid into said cylinder and for periodically providing said second chamber with atmospheric pressure during other times, and spring means included in said piston reciprocating means, in said second chamber, operatively connected to said piston for moving the piston from said retracted position to said extended position and to bias said piston to said extended position when said second chamberv has .atmospheric pressure therein for effecting the tlow of duid out of said cylinder.

6. A uid pump, comprising a cylinder provided with fluid passage means for the iiow of fluid into and out of the cylinder, a hollow piston reciprocable in said cylinder for effecting the ilow of the fluid into and out of said cylinder, a housing, means including huid-pressure responsive means operatively connected to said piston for reciprocating the piston in said cylinder, said huid-pressure responsive means including a flexible diaphragm and dividing said housing into first and second chambers with a huid-tight seal therebetween, guide means extending into the interior of said hollow piston, means connecting the interior of said hollow piston with said second chamber, said liirst chamber being open to the atmosphere, valve means for connecting said second chamber periodically and during certain times to a source of sub-atmospheric pressure for effecting the movement of the piston in one direction into said chamber for the iiow of iiuid into said cylinder and for connecting said second chamber periodically during other times to the atmosphere, and a coil spring in said second chamber included in said piston reciprocatinsy means operatively connected to said piston for moving the piston in the opposite direction when said second chamber has atmospheric pressure therein, for effec-ting the low of fluid out of said cylinder.

7. A fluid pump, comprising a cylinder provided with duid passage means for the ilow of iluid into and out of the cylinder, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder for eecting the iiow of the uid into and out of said cylinder, means to adjust the reciprocable movement of said piston to regulate the quantity of fluid which iiows into and out of said cylinder comprising a longitudinally adjustable stop-rod device, a guide in which said rod is mounted for slidable movement to adjusted positions, said guide means also guiding said piston during the movement thereof, means including fluid-pressure responsive means operatively connected to said piston for reciproca-ting the piston in said cylinder, and means for applying dilferent pressures at opposite sides, respectively, of said iiuidpressure responsive means for actuating said fluid-pressure responsive means for reciprocating said piston in said cylinder.

8. A iluid pump, comprising a cylinder provided with iluid passage means for the i'low of fluid into and out of the cylinder, a hollow piston reciprocable in said cylinder for effecting the flow of the iiuid into and out of said cylinder, a housing, means including fluid-pressure responsive means yoperatively connected to said piston for reciprocating the piston in said cylinder, said fluid-pressure responsive means comprising a cup-shaped flexible diaphragm having a Hat end part and a skirt part and plate members disposed at opposite sides, respectively, of said end part of said diaphragm and interconnected thereto, the skirt ot said exible diaphragm being connected to said housing, said fluid-pressure responsive means dividing said housing into irst and second chambers with a fluid-tight seal therebetween, guide means extending into the interior of said hollow piston, passage means interconnecting the interior of said hollow piston with said second chamber, said first chamber being open to the atmosphere, means for connecting said second chamber periodically during certain times to a source of sub-atmospheric pressure for effecting the movement of the piston in one direction within said chamber for the flow of fluid into said cylinder and for periodically connecting said chamber during other times to atmospheric pressure, and spring means in said other chamber forming part of said piston reciprocating means operatively connected to said piston for moving the piston in the opposite direction when said other chamber has atmospheric pressure therein, for eecting the iiow of tiuid out of said cylinder.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 862,367 Eggleston Aug. 6, 1907 1,390,617 Jay Sept. 13, 1921 2,153,519 Horton Apr. 4, 1939 2,833,219 Lewis May 6, 1958 2,900,916 Schinnerer Aug. 25, 1959 2,929,253 Baldelli Mar. 22, 1960 3,021,890 Domini Feb. 20, 1962 

1. A FLUID PUMP, COMPRISING A CYLINDER PROVIDED WITH FLUID PASSAGE MEANS FOR THE FLOW OF FLUID INTO AND OUT OF THE CYLINDER, A HOLLOW PISTON RECIPROCABLE IN SAID CYLINDER FOR EFFECTING THE FLOW OF THE FLUID INTO AND OUT OF SAID CYLINDER, A HOUSING, MEANS INCLUDING FLUID-PRESSURE RESPONSIVE MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID PISTON FOR RECIPROCATING THE PISTON IN SAID CYLINDER, SAID FLUID-PRESSURE RESPONSIVE MEANS INCLUDING A FLEXIBLE DIAPHRAGM AND DIVIDING SAID HOUSING INTO FIRST AND SECOND CHAMBERS WITH A FLUID-TIGHT SEAL THEREBETWEEN, SAID FIRST CHAMBER BEING OPEN TO THE ATMOSPHERE, MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID SECOND CHAMBER PERIODICALLY TO A SOURCE OF SUB-ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE FOR EFFECTING THE MOVEMENT OF THE PISTON IN ONE DIRECTION INTO SAID SECOND CHAMBER FOR THE FLOW OF FLUID INTO SAID CYLINDER AND FOR PERIODICALLY PROVIDING SAID SECOND CHAMBER WITH ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, GUIDE MEANS EXTENDING INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID HOLLOW PISTON, MEANS CONNECTING THE INTERIOR OF SAID HOLLOW PISTON WITH SAID SECOND CHAMBER, AND MEANS IN SAID SECOND CHAMBER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID PISTON FOR MOVING THE PISTON IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION WHEN SAID SECOND CHAMBER HAS ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE THEREIN, FOR EFFECTING THE FLOW OF FLUID OUT OF SAID CYLINDER. 